A South Korean family that was touring throughout the Southwest and anticipated to depart from a California airport this week is lacking, authorities say.
Jiyeon Lee, 33, Taehee Kim, 59, and Junghee Kim, 54, disappeared whereas driving from the Grand Canyon towards Las Vegas on March 13. GPS data on the rented 2024 BMW they have been driving confirmed the automobile was final on westbound Interstate 40 in Williams, Ariz., shortly earlier than 3:30 p.m., stated Jon Paxton, a spokesperson for the Coconino County Sheriff’s Workplace in Arizona.
Paxton stated their automotive was a couple of mile away from a lethal chain response crash on the snow- and ice-covered freeway that concerned 22 automobiles. Two individuals have been killed,16 have been injured and visitors was snarled alongside the freeway, authorities stated.
Authorities are nonetheless working to establish all of the vehicles concerned in that crash.
“The fireplace from that accident burned so sizzling for thus lengthy that a variety of these vehicles are unidentifiable,” Paxton stated.
Investigators checked space hospitals for the family, however didn’t discover them. Deputies additionally searched either side of the freeway by foot, air and automotive on the lookout for indicators of the group or the BMW in case that they had been rerouted off the freeway. However there was no hint of them, Paxton stated.
The family was touring within the space throughout a winter storm that introduced heavy snow and whiteout situations to northern Arizona.
“Climate situations have been fairly dangerous at the moment,” Paxton stated. “And for those who get rerouted more often than not, you get rerouted off the interstate right here in northern Arizona, and you find yourself on a mud highway. We checked all of the roads, nothing. And we haven’t had a ping on their telephones or from the automotive for the reason that thirteenth.”
Authorities in Arizona have been contacted by the South Korean consulate after the family missed their flight out of San Francisco on Monday.
The BMW they have been driving has a California license plate 9KHN768. Anybody with data is requested to contact the Coconino County Sheriff’s Workplace at (928) 774-4523.
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